Mounting means for louver blades



March 5, 1968 5. w. MINDS, JR 3,371,446

MOUNTING MEANS FOR LOUVER BLADES Filed Aug. 2, 1965 INVENTOR. GEORGE W. MlNDSJr.

I9 F1604. WZ7CZZW ATTORNEYS United States Patent Cfiice 3,371,446 MOUNTING MEANS FOR LOUVER BLADES George W. Mind's, Era, 2408 Ferney St., Los Angeles, Calif. 90031 Filed Aug. 2, 1965, er. No. 476,501 (Ilaims. (Cl. 49-403) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This disclosure relates to a louver assembly having a pivot means for pivotally connecting a louver blade to a frame member for pivotal movement relative thereto. The pivot means includes a one-piece, generally L-shaped pivot member having an intermediate shank portion rotatably supported by the frame member and first and second end portions extending at right angles to each other. The first end portion is connected to an actuating member and has an open ended slot therein for receiving the actuating member. The second end portion includes a pair of spaced boss portions which are tapered and which define an open ended tapered slot therebetween for receiving an end of the louver blade in wedging relationship. This securement is stabilized by ribs on the louver blade end defining a channel for receiving one of the boss portions.

This invention relates generally to louver assemblies and more particularly to an improved one-piece pivot member for mounting louver blades on a frame member.

In the past, louver blades have been mounted on adjacent frame members by means of pivot members which were attached to the blades by means of bolts, screws, rivets or the like. Further, the pivot member was attached to the frame member and to an actuating member by means of a series of separable parts requiring machined threads and nuts and the like to hold the assembly of parts together. Thus, there has been required the manufacture and assembly of a variety of separate parts which is expensive and time consuming.

It is, accordingly, a primary object of this invention to provide an improved pivot member of one-piece integral construction.

Another object is to provide a pivot member which has 'a novel means of attachment to a louver blade which avoids the use of a number of coupling elements heretofore required.

Another object is to provide an improved pivot member which is extremely simple and economical to manufacture.

Briefly, these and many other objects and advantages of this invention are attained by providing a one-piece pivot member of generally L-shaped configuration. The pivot member is formed of extruded aluminum or the like. One portion of the pivot member is adapted to be mounted on a frame member through an opening therein. This portion of the pivot member is provided with spaced, tapered boss members which are engaged with an end of the louver blade by means of a wedge-fit therewith.

The other portion of the pivot member is a transversely extending fork which defines an open-edged slot in the end thereof. The fork is provided with 'a rivet hole therethrough; the slot and the rivet hole thus provide means for the attachment of an actuating rod to the pivot member.

The above-described pivot member provides a unique means of pivotally attaching a louver blade to a frame member and also provides a unique means for attaching an actuating member to the pivot member, by means of a unitary, integral structure which is simple to manufacture and install.

3,371,445 Patented Mar. 5, 1938 A better understanding of the invention will be had by now referring to a preferred embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FlGURE 1 is a perspective view of a louver blade assembly incorporating the novel pivot member of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-section taken in the direction of the arrows 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-section taken in the direction of the arrows 33 of FIGURE 2; and,

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the novel pivot member.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, there is shown a pair of frame members 10 having 'a series of louver blades 1} attached therebetween. Each of the louver blades 11 has a pair of spaced parallel ribs 12 extending longitudinally thereof and defining a generally rectangular channel 13 therewith.

Pivot members 14 are attached to the frame members 10 by means of plastic bushings 15 which are positioned within openings 16 through the frame members 10. Pivot members 14 are further provided with rivets 17 therethrough which pivotally secure an actuating rod 18 thereto.

Referring now to FIGURE 2, a shank portion 19 in the pivot member 14 is secured within a square opening in the plastic bushing 15 so as to permit the pivot member and bushing member 15 to rotate together within the frame opening 16 about an axis of rotation 20. Formed integrally with shank 19 and extending outwardly therefrom are two tapered bosses 21 and 22 which are spaced from each other to define a tapered slot 23 therebetween which extends generally along the axis of rotation 20.

The pivot member 14 is further provided with an integral fork 24 which defines an open-ended slot 25 in the end thereof. Extending transversely through the fork 24 is a rivet hole 25 which is adapted to receive the rivet or fastener 17 which pivotally attaches the actuating rod 13 t0 the fork 24.

An end of the louver blade 11 is attached to the pivot member 14 by the wedge-fit engagement of the tapered boss 21 into the rectangular channel 13 and 'also by means of the wedge-fit engagement of the blade 11 into the tapered slot 23.

Referring now to FIGURE 3, it will be seen that the channel 13 defined by the louver blade 11 and ribs 12 is generally rectangular in cross-section, having a flat bottom portion 13. The ribs 12. have the top portions thereof peened over to provide co-plan'ar, overhanging surfaces 12 which are disposed parallel to the flat bottom portion 13'. The tapered boss 21 is formed of such size that it will effect a wedgefit within the channel 13 when inserted therein.

The boss 22 is spaced from the boss 21 to define a slot of such size to receive the bottom portion 13' in wedge-fit engagement.

With the foregoing arrangement, the blade 11 is securely attached to the pivot member 14 in a two-fold manner: that is, the pivot member boss 21 is wedged into the channel 13 on the blade and the channel portion 13 is wedged into the slot formed between the bosses 21 and 22.

Referring now to FIGURE 4, the square shank portion 19 of the pivot member 14 and the tapered bosses 21 and Z2 defining the tapered slot 23 therebetween, are shown more clearly. Extending away from the shank 19 is a flange portion 19 which has a surface A which is disposed at right angles with respect to shank 19. Disposed on the opposite side of the shank 19 is a surface B which is co-planar with surface A. The surfaces A and B pro- 3 vide the means against which the bushing (FIGURE 2) is positioned.

The fork portion 24, which includes the slot 25, extends away from shank 19 at right angles thereto and is offset with respect to the surface B a distance D as shown. Thus, the fork 24 may be attached to and operated by an actuating rod without binding or interfering with the adjacent frame structure.

In operation, and with reference to FIGURE 1, the actuating rod 18 is moved up or down as desired and the pivot members 14 and bushings 15 are caused to rotate about the axis 20. As a consequence of the wedge-fit interengagement of the tapered bosses 21 and 22 with the channel 13 and slot 23, each of the louver blades 11 is caused to rotate about the axis in conjunction with the rotation of the pivot members. It is, of course, to be understood that both ends of the louver blades 11 are attached to the adjacent frame members 10 by means of pivot members 14.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that the present invention has provided an improved and novel mounting means for louver blades. The unitary, integral construction of the extruded pivot member eliminates the use of an assembly of separable machined parts heretofore required. Thus, the pivot member of the present invention accomplishes its purposes by a simplified and economical means.

Various changes falling within the scope and spirit of this invention will occur to those skilled in the art. The mounting means is, therefore, not to be thought of as limited to the specific embodiment set forth.

What is claimed is:

1. A pivot means for pivotally mounting a louver blade having a pair of spaced ribs defining a channel on a frame member, comprising: a bushing positioned in an opening through said frame member; a pivot member having a shank portion disposed within said bushing and extending therethrough, said pivot member having an open-ended slot therein extending generally transversely from said shank portion; and a pair of tapered boss members formed integrally with said shank portion of said pivot member, said boss members being spaced to define a tapered slot therebetween, said louver blade being attached to said pivot member by means of a wedge-fit effected by one of said boss members wedgingly engaging said ribs upon being inserted in said channel and by means of a wedge-fit effected by said boss members wedgingly engaging said louver blade along the bottom of said channel and the opposite side portion adjacent the bottom of said channel upon said blade being inserted in said tapered slot.

2. Means for pivotally mounting a louver blade on a frame member according to claim 1, in which the top portions of said ribs are peened over to define co-planar, overhanging surfaces.

3. A louver assembly comprising a frame member, a louver blade extending transversely of said frame member, and a pivot means for pivotally mounting the louver blade on the frame member, said pivot means comprising a plastic bushing mounted in an opening through said frame member, said bushing having a square opening therethrough; a pivot member having a shank portion fitted within said square opening in said bushin such that said bushing and said pivot member may rotate together within said opening in said frame member, said pivot member having a fork portion integral therewith extending transversely from said shank portion, said fork defining an open-ended slot therein, said fork having a rivet hole extending therethrough, said pivot member further being provided with two generally parallel tapered boss members formed integrally with said shank portion, said boss members being spaced from each other to define a tapered slot therebetween; and a louver blade attached to said pivot member, said blade having spaced parallel outwardly extending ribs along the length thereof and defining a generally rectangular flat-bottomed channel between said ribs and said blade, whereby an end of said blade is attached to said pivot member by the wedge-fit of one of the said tapered boss members into said channel, with the said end of said blade being positioned within said tapered slot in said pivot member.

4. A one-piece pivot member for use in pivotally connecting a louver blade having means defining a channel to a frame member for pivotal movement relative to the frame member, said pivot member being generally L-shaped and comprising an intermediate portion which is adapted to be rot'atably supported by said frame member and first and second end portions integral with said intermediate portion, said first end portion extending transversely of said intermediate portion and being adapted to be connected to an actuating member, said second end portion extending generally parallel to said intermediate portion and being tapered to provide a wedge-fit engagement with said means defining said channel when said second end portion is inserted therein, said second end portion includes a pair of spaced tapered bosses which define a open-ended tapered slot therebetween, said bosses wedgingly engaging the louver blade upon the latter being received in said tapered Slot and one of said bosses wedgingly engaging said means defining said channel upon being received therein.

5. A pivot means for use in pivotally connecting a louver blade to a frame member for pivotal movement relative to the frame member comprising: a generally L-shaped pivot member having an intermediate portion which is adapted to be rotatably supported by said frame member and first and second end portions integral with said intermediate portion, said first end portion extending transversely of said intermediate portion and being adapted to be connected to an actuating member, said second end portion comprising a pair of spaced bosses extending generally parallel to said intermediate portion and which define an open-ended tapered slot therebetween whereby said bosses wedgingly engage the louver blade to connect the blade to the pivot member when the blade is inserted in said tapered slot, said intermediate portion of said pivot member being non-circular in cross section, said pivot means including a bushing having a noncircular through opening which is adapted to be rotatably supported within a through opening in the frame member, said intermediate portion of said pivot member extending through said opening in said bushing and is of a corresponding non-circular cross section whereby said pivot member and bushing rotate as a unit.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 199,402 1/1878 Bijur 49--89 479,398 7/1892 Buhmeier 4988 2,822,587 2/1958 Hallock 49-403 I 2,884,848 5/1959 Perlin 49403 3,191,241 6/1965 Johnson 49-403 DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner.

PHILIP C. KANNAN, Assistant Examiner. 

